It's been nine long months since I've updated this particular story. The Nutty Buddy has certainly been busy during that time, finishing an associate's degree before moving in to Towson University and beginning to take even higher level math than most. That, and my job, my old busted laptop, writer's block, just life in general. But that's enough excuses. Here's the request from X3rn345, another full 6 on 6 battle! As for the disclaimer:
The following is a non-profit fan-based fanfiction. Pokémon and all its affiliates are all owned by Nintendo, Gamefreak, the Pokémon Company, and Ken Sugimori. Please support the official release!
Xavier stood on the outskirts of Saffron City, looking at the tallest building in the city, the famous Silph Company. The giant purple office building dominated all the surrounding buildings, standing above the rest by several floors. It was where it all began, nearly 2 years ago. The black-haired man sighed as he looked at the note in his hand. The cursive, feminine handwriting read "Meet me on top of Silph, so I can explain everything. Love, Alyssa." It had been a week since he had found out that his girlfriend of the past 8 months had been a secret member of Team Rocket, the ultimate criminal organization that had seemingly disappeared after Red defeated their leader, Giovanni. Xavier was glad that Red had run them out of town, but like any cockroach, they just kept coming back. He had made it his goal to hunt Giovanni down personally, especially when some Grunts had killed his parents. He had waged war against the Rockets ever since he lost his parents and was quite certain he was among their top 5 most hated people. No one could hold a candle to what Red and Gold did years ago, but Xavier was doing his best to make Team Rocket's life miserable.
To say that he was shocked and hurt when Alyssa's cover was blown right in front of his face would be an understatement. He had just stood there; numb, unable to function, as Alyssa was swept away from him as Team Rocket carried out its raid on the Day Care south of Cerulean City. The sorrowful look in her eyes as she helped the other Rockets escape did nothing to sooth his sorrows. The past week had been pure torment for him. Sadness had turned to rage, as Xavier blamed himself a fool for not seeing through her false advances. As rage faded, depression threatened to hang over him before hope sprang eternal in the form of a messenger Pidgey who delivered the note Xavier now carried in his hand.
He looked again at the purple and blue tower, struggling to quell the oncoming emotions that would affect his thought process. On one hand, this could simply be an obvious trap Giovanni had set for him, eager to bring about the downfall of one who had been a thorn in his side for so long. On the other hand, this could be an opportunity to bring Alyssa back to the good side. If he could convince her that there was no need to work for Team Rocket, that she could be better off helping him take down Team Rocket instead, then he had to take the chance. Xavier stared up at the Silph Company tower for a moment longer, weighing his options carefully. Why did Team Rocket keep coming back for more after constantly getting defeated time and time again? All they did was ruin people's lives. Why couldn't they take the hint? Either way, Xavier made a decision. He grabbed a Pokéball off the belt attached to his black, tattered jeans and threw it into the air to call upon a Pokémon that would aid his travel immensely.
On top of Silph Company Building
Alyssa paced back and forth on the top of the Silph Building, anxiously glancing at the cloudy skies for any sign of her ex-boyfriend. It had pained her immensely to see the look of betrayal on his face after the Grunts blew her cover. She knew she was risking a lot with this secret meeting, a meeting she had taken a great many lengths to prevent Giovanni finding out, lest it have consequences she didn't want to think about. She adjusted her top, the standard black Team Rocket shirt with the bright red R on the front. Her midriff was left bare, showing off her toned figure but it caused her to shiver a little when a cold wind blew across the rooftop and given how high up they were, those winds blew frequently. She wasn't the biggest fan of the uniform, but since Giovanni made it mandatory, she didn't have much of a choice. She liked the black thigh boots, but the skirt was a tad too short for her taste, showing off her curvy frame more than she would have liked.
"Come on X, where are you?" she said, more to herself than anyone else as she scanned the skies, adjusting her long blonde hair under her Team Rocket cap. She was hoping the Pidgey she'd sent got to him; otherwise she was wasting her time. She was about to give up when a familiar roar pierced the sky. She whirled about quickly to see a large, draconic, orange Pokémon with large wings flying towards her. She smiled as she saw the figure clad in black on the Charizard's back as the Charizard landed on the Silph rooftop, though her smile was wiped away as she saw the glare he wore on his face as his lanky frame climbed off his beloved starter Pokémon, black leather boots making a solid thud as they connected with the rooftop. "You came!"
"Against my better judgment," Xavier said darkly, returning his Charizard to his Pokéball unceremoniously. He was not enjoying the fact that she was in full Team Rocket uniform. At the very least, when she aided the Grunts in their escape from the Day Care, he could have written it off as a very bad choice in judgment. Seeing her in an actual uniform really brought it home to him once more. "Why have you asked me here?"
"To explain everything," Alyssa said, taking a step towards him. When he backed away from her advances, she stopped, her sea green eyes pleading with him to let her approach. "Please Xavier, listen to me!"
"Why should I?" Xavier asked angrily, rage getting the better of him for the moment. "Why should I listen to the one who betrayed me like this? I trusted you! You were a woman I actually loved, then I find out you're working for them!" He advanced on her, voice building in volume. "The group of cowardly criminals I had sworn I would put a stop to once and for all! And you're one of them! How could you?! Why should I listen to anything you have to say when you're just another member of Team Rocket?"
"Because I can explain why I'm with Team Rocket!" Alyssa said during his pause, trying to seize the initiative again.
"Why?!" Xavier yelled, "Was it money? Power? Was this all a trick, a deception to strike at one of Giovanni's biggest headaches?"
"No," Alyssa began, but Xavier cut her off before she could continue.
"How long have you been with them?!" Xavier roared, "HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WITH THE CROOKS WHO TOOK MY PARENTS FROM ME?!"
"It's been only 6 months!" Alyssa said quickly, backing away quickly. "I wanted to tell you why so badly, but Giovanni's got something to keep me from doing stuff to hurt his empire."
"Like what?" Xavier asked, the sarcasm dripping from his voice, "They'll take your Pokémon away?"
"Worse," Alyssa almost whispered, before raising her voice again, "He's got my parents captured." That got Xavier's attention quicker than an Extreme Speed from a Speed Form Deoxys.
"Your parents?" he repeated in a normal tone, the rage fading from his navy blue eyes.
"Yes," Alyssa confirmed with a serious nod. "He has my parents. I can't do anything to stop Team Rocket, otherwise he'll kill them!"
Xavier paused, absorbing this new information quickly. That sliver of hope was growing rapidly. Perhaps he had been a bit too quick to rush to judgment. "Why didn't you say so sooner?"
"I couldn't!" Alyssa snapped, glad he was listening, "Giovanni has only just begun to allow me out on my own activities, so long as they help Team Rocket! If not…"
"I get it Lyssa," Xavier said soothingly, "You don't want anything happening to your mom and dad, especially after hearing about mine. But that's why you need to trust me. I can get your parents back, you just need to let me do my thing. I promise I'll do everything I can to get your parents back." He turned and looked out over the edge of the Silph building, savoring the glorious view over the city. "I know you had to keep this secret from me, but damn it all if you couldn't have helped me find out that you were the new admin who'd helped carry out so many successful raids recently. "
"How can I hold you to that?" Alyssa asked, "How will I know you won't just use me to strike at Giovanni under the pretense of freeing my parents?"
Xavier grinned as he turned to face her. "Battle me."
Alyssa blinked in surprise. "Excuse me?"
"Battle me," Xavier repeated, "I'll show you I have the power to take down Team Rocket and get your parents out safely so you can get out of this web of deceit Giovanni has spun around you. Come on, it'll be fun!" His golden chain necklace sparkled as he looked into her eyes, the Keystone glittering as a few rays of sunlight filtered through the cloudy skies. The sparkles reflected off of the Keystone embedded in Alyssa's right earring as she looked at Xavier, confusion evident on her face.
"Fun?" Alyssa said incredulously, "At a time like this?"
Xavier nodded, a wry grin on his face. "What's the matter, scared?"
"Of battling you? No," Alyssa responded, "I can beat you any day of the week!"
"Prove it then," Xavier challenged, "And let's raise the stakes a little. If I win, then you'll start supplying me with intel so I can bust your parents out and get Giovanni's claws out of you."
"And if I win?" Alyssa asked, raising an eyebrow. "I know you won't let yourself be taken in by Team Rocket."
Her ex-boyfriend took a second to reply, apparently struggling to come to a decision. Alyssa let him think, as she knew this was not a situation to take lightly. At last, he spoke. "If you win, I'll surrender to you. You may do as you please."
Alyssa's eyes widened in surprise. She had not expected this, of all the potential rewards for victory. If she won and captured the one man who currently was the biggest threat to the existence of the team she currently worked for, if unwillingly, she was certain Giovanni would boost her privileges within the organization, maybe even free her parents. "You mean it?"
Xavier nodded slowly, a grin on his face. "It's motivation for me not to lose." He grabbed a Pokéball off his belt and tossed it lazily in the air a couple of times. "What do you say?"
Alyssa walked several paces backwards in response and faced him, grim determination on her face. "I say you're crazy, but I've known you for too long." She grabbed one of her Pokéballs and threw it into the air. "Sonore, take him down!" A large black, purple and teal bat-like Pokémon appeared, white fur sprouting around his neck as the Sound Wave Pokémon began hovering in the air in front of Alyssa, wings flapping excitedly.
"I figured you'd lead with him," Xavier commented, throwing the Pokéball he'd been tossing gently in front of him. "Lacus, enter the fray!" Out of that Pokéball appeared a cream and orange furred otter-like Pokémon with two tails, two blue fins on it arms, and a yellow floatation sack that resembled a life boat. The Floatzel grinned a toothy grin at Sonore, who was babbling way too fast for even him to understand.
"Focus Sonore," Alyssa said to her Noivern as the Dragon/Flying type continue babbling indecipherably, "We can't afford to give him an opening." Sonore nodded and began to gain altitude, climbing up and away from the top of the building.
Xavier grinned. "Perfect. Lacus, start this match off with a Rain Dance!" The Sea Weasel Pokémon raised his arms into the air, blue arm fins glowing as a ball of glue energy formed in between his paws. Lacus then threw the orb into the cloudy skies. There was a brief pause before the clouds began to darken. Thunder boomed as rain began to fall, gradually at first before intensifying into a moderate downpour that had everyone on the rooftop quickly soaked.
"Not cool," Alyssa complained, flicking water off her gloves in vain, "But since you so graciously provided us with rain, it'd be insulting not to take advantage of it. Sonore, use Hurricane!" There was a chirp of excitement that could be heard from the Noivern before a fierce gust of wind began blowing across the rooftop, buffeting everyone with the strong gale that concentrated itself around Lacus, who endured the powerful Flying type attack with some effort.
Xavier frowned, as he had forgotten that Hurricane's accuracy gets boosted during rainfall. "Help weather the storm with Bulk Up!"
Alyssa stared at him in disbelief as the Water type began to do just that, bulking up muscles and inflating his flotation sack briefly before a red glow suffused his frame. "Did you really just make that pun at a time like this?"
Xavier said nothing to her, only giving her that cheeky grin that was but one reason why she had fallen in love with him. "Once you're done Bulking up, use Aqua Jet to bring Sonore back to the rooftop!" Lacus nodded as the red aura faded, water surrounding his sleek frame before the Sea Weasel Pokémon seemed to simply disappear.
"Where did he go?" Alyssa asked, blinking in surprise.
"Swift Swim," explained Xavier, "Floatzel are already really fast naturally. Add in an ability that doubles their speed during a rain storm and you've got one of the fastest Pokémon ever!" In the distance, Sonore suddenly doubled over as a blue streak of water blindsided the Dragon/Flying type, causing him to lose a few feet of altitude before he could recover, hovering in the air again before the blue streak came again, crashing into Sonore over and over again, forcing the Sound Wave Pokémon closer and closer towards the Sylph building with each blow.
"Use Boomburst!" Alyssa shouted as Lacus (for who else could it be) slammed into Sonore once more, knocking the Noivern onto the rooftop in front of her and leaving him stunned momentarily. Lacus appeared out of nowhere in front of Xavier, both of them grinning that mischievous grin. 'You know what they say, the Pokémon is a reflection of the Trainer, or something like that' Alyssa thought to herself ruefully. "Come on Sonore, Boomburst!"
"Sonore may be fast," Xavier pointed out, "But even he can't compare with the speed of a Floatzel, especially in the rain." To his surprise, Sonore shook his head, got rid of the cobwebs and looked at Lacus, ears glowing white with power. Sonore roared and fired a shock wave of pure sonic power at Lacus on the rooftop. "Quick, dodge it with Aqua Jet!" Water erupted everywhere as Lacus zoomed off the rooftop into the storm, the Boomburst slamming into the rooftop in front of Xavier with such ferocity that a small crater was left. Down below, Silph employees looked up in confusion at the sudden rumble. One of them looked outside and saw the current rainstorm going on and shrugged, continuing on his work. The others soon followed and it was business as usual for the biggest business in Kanto.
"Again Sonore!" Alyssa yelled, "Boomburst!"
"Turn that Aqua Jet into a Waterfall!" Xavier said, grinning. He was beginning to enjoy himself, despite the situation. The water swirling around the Floatzel began to churn, increasing in size and intensity, trading speed for power as Lacus rocketed towards Sonore. Surprised, the Noivern could only screech as 80 pounds of weasel covered in churning water slammed into Sonore, causing him to flinch away from the impact and letting Lacus get away scot free.
Alyssa growled in frustration at Sonore's inability to cope with that Floatzel's speed. "Try Hurricane again!" The Flying/Dragon type nodded and began flapping his wings, sending high-powered winds towards the descending Floatzel. Lacus was caught in the Hurricane and slammed onto the rooftop, the intense squall pinning him to the ground momentarily. Raindrops flew everywhere, causing both Trainers to shield their eyes from the water.
"Use Aqua Jet to get out of there!" Xavier shouted. It took some effort, but the Water type managed to shoot off to the side, out of the Hurricane and into the air, water propelling the Sea Weasel Pokémon towards Sonore above.
"Use Hurricane once more!" Alyssa ordered, "Keep him below you!"
Xavier snapped his fingers as he saw the opening. "Close in and use Ice Beam!"
Alyssa heard his command, eyes widening as she realized her sudden predicament. "Sonore, drop the Hurricane and dodge!" It was too little too late however, as the Noivern had started flapping his wings to use his powerful Flying type move, only for Lacus to blur out of view using the speed of Swift Swim and Aqua Jet. Confused, the Sound Wave Pokémon looked around frantically for his opponent. The only indication he got was a word from Lacus, coming from directly behind him.
"Boo!" Lacus shouted, making the hyperactive dragon flinch in surprise right into the Ice Beam he fired from his mouth. The icy-blue beam of energy forced Sonore straight down, slamming the Noivern into the rooftop, Lacus landing lightly shortly afterwards. It was obvious that the super effective Ice Beam did the trick, as Sonore was clearly unconscious. Xavier wiped the rain off his face and out of his eyes, grinning all the while. Alyssa recalled her fallen Pokémon wordlessly, her mouth a grim slash across her determined face.
"You're not switching?" she asked, mulling her options in the meantime.
Xavier chuckled. "Not while it's still raining. You know, I never understood why people say romance works better in the rain. I'll take a sunny sky any day of the week, when I'm not battling with Lacus here that is."
"Will you remain focused on the battle?" Alyssa demanded hotly as she fished off a Pokéball from her belt. She threw it in the same motion, shouting "Fleur, take him down!" A bipedal green Pokémon with white rose petals serving as hair and a leafy green cape appeared, red and blue bouquets in her right and left hands respectively. The Roserade merely looked at Lacus before turning to her Trainer and nodded, as silent and determined as her Trainer.
"As you wish," Xavier answered, causing Alyssa to roll her eyes at the reference. "Lacus, use Ice Beam!" The Water type obliged, sending the icy-blue blast of energy at Fleur at a high speed. The Grass/Poison type only had time to lean out of the way, but save for a bit of frost on her shoulder she came out unscathed.
Alyssa threw her first into the air. "Fleur, Poison Ball combo!" The Bouquet Pokémon nodded and began concentrating, creating a sphere of shadowy energy in front of her. Lacus watched, tensed to move the instant she fired, but to his surprise, Fleur's flowers began glowing a sickly brilliant purple. She proceeded to strike the Shadow Ball in front of her with her Poison Jab, which resulted in the sickly purple color swirling in with the dark purple and sending the combination attack screaming towards the Floatzel directly across from her. Lacus instinctively threw himself to the side, the rain adding to his speed and helping him avoid the powerful attack. The Poison Ball went screaming off the roof and detonated harmlessly above the city. Fleur held her bouquets up, their colors returned to normal as she mentally began prepping another attack
"Not bad," Lacus admitted, "But still too slow!" He received no words in response from Fleur, but instead was caught off guard with a follow up Shadow Ball.
"You're not going to taunt that one," Xavier chuckled as the Sea Weasel Pokémon rubbed his gut where the Shadow Ball had struck, "Close in with Aqua Jet!"
Alyssa was quick to the draw. "Stop him with Grass Knot!" Fleur's eyes began glowing bright green while water began swirling around Lacus. As the Water type took a step forward to launch himself into his attack, roots sprouted from the ground in front of him and caught his foot, tripping him up and causing the Sea Weasel Pokémon to fall flat on his face, the Aqua Jet collapsing into a puddle on the soaked rooftop.
"Ice Beam, let's go!" Xavier ordered. Still laying belly-first where he tripped, Lacus looked up and opened his mouth, firing that typical icy-blue beam of energy from his maw.
"Dodge and use Petal Dance!" Alyssa commanded, noticing a shift in the clouds. The Bouquet Pokémon leaped out of the way of the incoming Ice Beam and began concentrating. Red and blue petals began swirling around her arms, white petals from her head joining them in a storm of flower petals. Lacus noticed the potent Grass type attack incoming and began trying to scramble out of the way. Xavier frowned when he noticed Lacus wasn't moving as fast as he should have and then it hit him; the Rain Dance had ended. His Floatzel was realizing this too, rather belatedly as the Petal Dance slammed into him, buffeting him from all directions. It was too much for the Water type to bear and he collapsed as soon as the Petal Dance ended.
"1-1," Xavier commented as he recalled his Pokémon. "Not bad for a Rocket Grunt."
Alyssa growled, something Xavier found cute. "I'm an Admin, thank you very much." She flicked water off the brim of her hat as the sun began to peek through the clouds, illuminating the battlers briefly before disappearing behind the clouds again. She pulled out Fleur's Pokéball and recalled her Roserade as well.
Xavier frowned at both her comment and her decision. "And you're proud of that?"
"Hell no I'm not, but I don't exactly have a choice in the matter right now."
Xavier watched her for a moment longer, smirking at her serious look before tossing another Pokéball into the air. "No, I suppose you don't. But it won't be like that for long. Vastatio, enter the fray!" A green bipedal insect-like dragon appeared, wings making a slight buzzing sound as the Mystic Pokémon hovered in the air.
"Time to fight dragon with dragon," Alyssa commented, grabbing her own Pokéball. "Ciel let's go!" With a roar, a blue quadruped dragon with large red wings appeared, eager to take flight and do battle.
"Who dares stand in my way?" the Salamence roared.
"I do!" Xavier's Flygon answered with a cheeky smile, sticking his tongue out at the Dragon Pokémon. "Catch me if you can't!" With that statement, the Ground/Dragon type took off and began flying around the tower.
"That doesn't even make sense!" Ciel shouted, chasing after Vastatio. The two Dragon types began weaving around the tower, causing some pedestrians at the base of the building to look up in wonder.
"Your mom doesn't make sense!" Vastatio snickered, trying to gain altitude.
"Your Flygon is insane!" Alyssa exclaimed, "Ciel use Aerial Ace!" White streaks of energy surrounding the Salamence as he accelerated and began catching up to the agile Mystic Pokémon.
"That makes him perfect as a fighter ace," Xavier shot back. "Use Steel Wing!" Vastatio's wings began glowing with a silver light, wings becoming as hard as steel (duh!). The Ground/Dragon type then flared his wings out, braking rapidly in the air. Much to Ciel's surprise, Vastatio back flipped in midair over his attack and dove, striking the Dragon Pokémon in the back. Vastatio then used the momentum to put some distance in between himself and the enraged Ciel, sticking his tongue out in the process.
"I thought your kind was good at flying!" he taunted, eyes gleaming behind those natural red "goggles" of his, "I'm a better Flying type than you are!" He only giggled as the Dragon/Flying type send a white-hot Flamethrower after him, dodging the attack with ease.
"You aren't even a Flying type!" Ciel roared, sending another Flamethrower after the Mystic Pokémon.
"Keep up the Flamethrowers!" Alyssa ordered, "He can't dodge them all!"
Xavier smirked, putting his hands in his pockets as he watched his Flygon weave a complex pattern through the sky, countering Ciel's Flamethrowers with one of his own if his aim got too close for comfort. "He doesn't have to. Vastatio, Stone Edge!" The Mystic Pokémon grimaced as a Flamethrower from the furious Flying type finally found his tail but it didn't stop his concentration. Rocks began circling around his frame before Vastatio launched the Stone Edge at Ciel in midflight, performing a barrel roll for no particular reason other than to add a spin to his attack. Even while infuriated, Ciel was no fool and his red wings powered himself above the attack, only to take a Flamethrower to the face from Vastatio. He was seeing red when Alyssa's voice cut through the haze.
"Ciel, time for Calamity!" With a toothy grin, the Salamence abandoned his chase after Vastatio and began to gain altitude, stones orbiting his body similar to what the Flygon did not too long ago. Instead of sending the Stone Edge after Vastatio, Ciel instead began gathering a ball of brilliant orange energy in his mouth.
Xavier's eyes widened as he recognized the attack. "Vastatio, move!" The Dragon Pokémon fired the Draco Meteor attack high into the clouds, the Stone Edge following the attack. There was a pause, the tension so thick you could cut it with a knife. "Where is it?" With an explosion, Xavier got his answer. Unlike a normal Draco Meteor, this one was much larger than normal and Xavier could make out an actual stone trapped within the draconic power of the attack. The speed of the attack was faster than normal and it was everything Vastatio could do to dodge the initial salvo. Much to their surprise, a second wave of meteors came hot on the end of the first wave, catching the Flygon off guard. The attack lived up to its name and caused massive explosions wherever it landed on the rooftop, buffeting both Trainers with its power. Vastatio was knocked out of the sky by one of the meteors, having been hit while attempting to fly a circle around three separate meteors simultaneously. Ciel came roaring out of the sky, following the spiraling Flygon eagerly.
"Finish this with Dragon Claw!" Alyssa shouted. Green draconic energy manifested around the Salamence's front paws in the form of claws extended outward, claws which Ciel used to grab onto Vastatio and slash at him repeatedly with the Dragon type attack until he slammed the unfortunate Ground/Dragon type onto the rooftop, pushing off and flying upwards, roaring triumphantly. Vastatio on the other hand wasn't quite as lucky, as he was sprawled out on the ground unconscious.
"That's what you get!" Ciel said, a bit of salt evident in his tone. He landed in front of Alyssa, very satisfied with the result.
Xavier frowned as he returned his Flygon to his Pokéball. He'd counted on Vastatio's agility to carry him through that round. Perhaps it wasn't speed he needed, but power. "Alyssa, can I ask you something?"
She blinked in surprise, wondering why Xavier was pausing in the middle of a battle. "What?"
"Have you battled Giovanni at all?"
She shuddered at the memory. "It wasn't a full battle, just a quick test of my skills."
"How'd that go?" Xavier looked at her expectantly, keen on getting any insight to his foe.
"Let's just say he's the boss of Team Rocket for a reason," Alyssa said, "He's learned from his losses to Red and Gold. I've heard rumors that his Persian can kill you without even touching you! He's not a foe to be taken lightly. Poor Bruler is still upset over how that battle went."
Xavier raised an eyebrow. "That bad, huh?"
"You have no idea," Alyssa responded, "While he's learned from the Mewtwo incident, he's still done everything he can to have powerful Pokémon. He's a skilled Trainer and a ruthless leader. He won't hesitate to kill an innocent, especially hostages."
"Including my parents," Xavier noted. The news didn't surprise him at all; it only served to reinforce the information he'd gathers during his crusade against this criminal organization. The agony of losing his parents always rose up whenever he saw those uniforms, so combining that with the love for Alyssa he held in his heart had frayed his emotions a bit during this battle. That didn't stop him from sympathizing with her plight however. He grabbed the Pokéball he wanted off his belt. "Don't worry Alyssa, I'll show you that I can hang with Giovanni and his schemes. It's the only way I can get your parents out. Metallum! Enter the fray!" A robotic Pokémon with a turquoise disc-shaped body and four legs appeared, red eyes peering out from behind a silver cross on the center of its face.
The Metagross sized up the situation at a glance. "ANALYZING. PREPARING FOR COMBAT!"
Ciel laughed, smoke escaping from his nostrils. "And now they send a tin can against me."
Metallum locked eyes with his opponent. "RESPONSE; YOU CANNOT WIN THIS BATTLE!"
"He may resist your typing," Alyssa began, "But we have moves to cover that! Use Flamethrower!"
Xavier was quick to respond. "Deflect it with Psychic, then Homing Missile with Shadow Ball!" A blue glow appeared in Metallum's red eyes and the flames that came spewing out of Ciel's mouth curved up and over the Steel/Psychic type, fizzling out harmlessly in the distance.
"INITIATING ASSAULT!" Metallum droned, eyes still glowing blue as he formed a dark purple orb of shadowy energy, a blue aura around the Shadow Ball as he fired the attack at the Salamence. The Dragon Pokémon snickered and flew above the Shadow Ball lazily, not noticing it gently curving around and coming in for a second try.
"Ciel, it's coming around!" Alyssa warned, eyes tracking the combination attack, "Dive!" The Dragon/Flying type looked back in surprise and barely got out of the way of the incoming Ghost-type move. It curved around again, Metallum once again adjusting for Ciel's ability to dodge. The next attack run came in quicker, which prompted Ciel to stop the attack with a Flamethrower. The Shadow Ball exploded harmlessly away from him, sending a light breeze across the top of Silph, stirring the hair of both battlers as they locked eyes. Despite the situation, this was their first true battle with each other and while neither were willing to admit it at the moment, they were enjoying that battle.
Alyssa grinned as she broke the brief stare down. "Ciel, time for another Calamity!"
As the Stone Edge began orbiting the Dragon Pokémon, Xavier began barking out an order. "Metallum, use Flash Cannon to shoot down those meteors!" As he said that, the Salamence launched the orange ball of energy into the sky, the Stone Edge once more disappearing into it.
"TRACKING…" the Iron Leg Pokémon announced, "FIRING MY LAZER!" Silvery energy stabbed upwards just as the Draco Meteor exploded, the Flash Cannon destroying several of the falling stars at the start. Despite his best efforts, Metallum could not cover all of the attack and several meteors struck home, exploding on contact with the Metagross. He looked none the worse for wear as the smoke cleared, a few scorch marks from the attack the only sign of damage on his blue body.
"Close in with Dragon Claw!" Alyssa ordered. Once again, green energy formed into claws around the Dragon/Flying type's front paws as Ciel dove towards the Steel/Psychic type, roaring a challenge.
"Ice Breaker," Xavier said simply, smirking at Alyssa. She looked at his curiously, wondering what that kind of attack meant. Metallum's arms began glowing a brilliant silver color as it prepped a Meteor Mash attack. The Salamence roared and raised his claws to strike.
The blackmailed Team Rocket Admin's eyes grew wide when she saw an icy blue glow suffuse the Meteor Mash. "Ciel! Get away! It's a trap!" Her command came too late as the Dragon Pokémon slashed at the Metagross, who blocked the attack with one of his front legs. The other leg came forward in a bone crunching punch, both Trainers wincing at the impact. Alyssa then had to dodge out of the way as her Salamence came skipping across the roof, slamming against the lip of the roof and shattering the layer of ice that had accumulated from the blow of the Ice Breaker, out cold in more ways than one.
"That'll leave a mark," Xavier commented. "Good job Metallum."
"TARGET ELIMINATED. STANDING BY FOR INCOMING ENEMY!" the Metagross announced.
Alyssa mulled her options for a moment. She had one Pokémon that could take down that Metagross with ease, but she wanted to save him for last, knowing Xavier was saving his best for last as well. She glanced at the various puddles on the rooftop and decided. "Maree! Let's go!" From the Pokéball she threw materialized a serpentine cream colored aquatic Pokémon with long pinkish eyebrows, blue and pink tail twitching in sheer vanity.
"I'm so pretehhhhh!" the Milotic shouted, ignoring the bemused glance of Xavier.
"Ever since she evolved," he noted, "Or so I'm told." He looked at Alyssa, who rolled her eyes in response.
"She does whatever it takes to look pretty," she commented, "Like Aqua Ring for instance." Her Water type perked up at that and concentrated, twin rings of pure water forming around her body and flowing over her body, soothing her already flawless skin.
Xavier frowned. That could be a problem if this battle became drawn out. Luckily for him, he'd noticed that Meteor Mash had boosted Metallum's Attack stat, so if he could close in, perhaps he could take that Milotic down before the Aqua Ring worked too much of its magic. "Use Shadow Ball!" The Steel/Psychic type was quick to form another ball of shadow energy, launching the Ghost type attack at such a high speed that the Tender Pokémon couldn't dodge.
"Ugly brute!" Maree shouted after the attack had connected, "You're just jealous of my beauty!"
"ANALYIZING!" Metallum said, "RESPONE; COMPARED TO THE AVERAGE POKÉMON, YOU ARE CORRECT. COMPARED TO THE AVERAGE MILOTIC, YOU ARE QUITE LACKING!" The humans exchanged a perplexed glance while Maree grasped Metallum's insult immediately. She was vain, but not stupid.
Alyssa shrugged their Pokémon's banter off and decided to focus on the battle. "Use Water Pulse!"
"You dare to call me ugly?!" Maree exploded, a large ball of water forming in front of her. "Take this!" The speed with which the Water Pulse fired from her stunned everyone, especially her target. Water exploded everywhere as the attack connected right between the Steel/Psychic type's eyes. The Iron Leg Pokémon was still standing, water dripping down its frame, but something seemed off from Xavier's point of view.
"Way to hang in there, now use Flash Cannon!" Xavier said, shaking his head at the fragile ego of his ex's Milotic. When Metallum didn't move, he frowned. "Come on Metallum, Flash Cannon!"
"ERROR! ERROR!" the Steel/Psychic type suddenly shouted, "DOES NOT COMPUTE! ATTEMPTING SYSTEM REBOOT!" With that, Metallum raised his leg and swatted himself on the head.
"Looks like Water Pulse's additional effect is kicking in," Alyssa noted with a satisfactory smirk. "Keep up the pressure with Hydro Pump!" It was obvious that the Water type was still pissed as she launched a Hydro Pump that would have impressed a Kyogre and nailed Metallum full in the face.
Xavier couldn't believe his rotten luck this round. "Try to use Meteor Mash!" Unfortunately for him, the Metagross was still confused and hitting himself on the head, trying the old fashioned way of 'troubleshooting' a computer.
"Hailing Rain!" Alyssa yelled, adjusting her black gloves. The rainstorm from earlier didn't help at all, since those gloves weren't waterproof and now the cotton gloves were rubbing against her arms in an irritating manner. Xavier watched as Maree fired off an Ice Beam that hit the ground in front of the confused Metagross. A Hydro Pump quickly followed and shattered the block of ice, peppering Metallum with large shards of ice. The Hydro Pump quickly followed after that, sending the Iron Leg Pokémon skidding backwards.
There was a brief pause, then Metallum announced "ENERGY EXHAUSTED. SHUTTING DOWN FOR RECHARGE." and collapsed. All Xavier could do was shake his head as he returned the fallen Steel/Psychic type to its Pokéball.
"That's what you get for not saying I'm pretty!" Maree huffed, looking very satisfied with her handiwork, the Aqua Ring shimmering as it flowed over her.
"That damn Water Pulse," he lamented with a wry grin. "No matter. Let's see you deal with this! Bratus, enter the fray!" A large tree-like Pokémon appeared, walking on six brown roots, his black shadowy body covered in brown tree bark. Tufts of foliage stuck out from various places on the Trevenent as the Elder Tree Pokémon flexed his limbs, single red eye staring at Maree.
"You! Pretty one!" Bratus shouted, "I will…uh….uhhhhh…" He scratched his head for a second, menacing look turning into confusion. "ummm, what's that word again?"
Xavier smiled at his rather dim Pokémon. "Try defeat."
Bratus lightened up at his Trainer's suggestion. "That's it!" He faced Maree again. "I will detry you pretty one! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!"
The Milotic smiled. "He called me pretty!" She brought her tail up to cover her blushing face. All Alyssa could do was hold a hand to her face, embarrassed over the vanity of her Pokémon.
"Use Leech Seed!" Xavier ordered, attempting to regain the seriousness of the earlier battles. The Ghost/Grass type laughed again and created several small brown seeds in his hands, flinging them at Maree. The Tender Pokémon was still hiding behind her tail, trying to act pretty when the seeds struck, several vines sprouting from them and wrapping around her. She squealed in surprise as the vines sapped some of her strength.
"Strike back with Ice Beam!" Alyssa shouted, ready to get back to the action as well. Maree nodded and fired back the Ice type attack, hitting the Elder Tree Pokémon on his arm.
Xavier didn't miss a beat. "Phantom Force!" Bratus laughed and seemed to simply disappear, the ice accumulation on his arm dropping to the ground and shattering.
"Whenever you sense him, use Twister!" Alyssa warned, eyes looking at every possible shadow to try and find the Ghost/Grass type. Maree heard movement behind her and spun, her tail whirling around and creating a whirlwind, draconic energy crackling through it, but it was just the wind. Upon realizing that, Bratus struck, phasing in out of nowhere and striking Maree with glowing purple arms. The attack sent the Water type sliding, which inspired Bratus to follow up with an attack on his own.
"Let's turn up the burn!" he shouted gleefully and launched a bright blue Will-O-Wisp at Maree. To his dismay, the Aqua Ring still surrounding Maree blocked the status move, extinguishing the Will-O-Wisp with a hiss of steam. Bratus peered in, confused. "Why didn't that work?"
"Ice Beam!" Alyssa barked out. Maree blasted the Trevenent backwards with the Ice Beam, then cried out as the Leech Seed sapped some more of her strength. She began to squirm.
"Get these things off of me!" the Tender Pokémon shouted, irritated.
"Bratus, use Phantom Force to set up a Horn Leech," Xavier said softly, amused at the Milotic's efforts given she didn't have any hands. Bratus nodded and disappeared again, which got Alyssa's attention really quickly.
"Here we go again," she said, "Be ready to fire an Ice Beam this time, but make sure you see him before you fire!" Maree nodded, stopping her struggle against the Leech Seed, the tips of her long eyebrows glowing light blue as she readied her Ice type attack. With their only warning being Bratus' evil laughter, Alyssa could only watch as the Elder Tree Pokémon reappeared above her Milotic, upside down and with his entire head glowing bright green. She realized what attack the Trevenent was using immediately, but by the time she opened her mouth Bratus had already landed on the Water type, slamming into her with the force of, well, an oak tree. There was an explosion of ghostly energy from the Phantom Force which engulfed both battlers for a moment. Bratus came scuttling out looking even better than when he went in, the Horn Leech restoring most of his health. Maree, on the other hand, was unconscious, the Leech Seed crumbling as its task was done.
"Nicely done," Xavier said to his Trevenent, glancing at Alyssa, who was shaking her head at the crazy attack.
"I don't want to know how he managed that," she admitted, "But I won't let that happen again. Fleur, take him down!" As the Roserade appeared once more, Bratus scuttled about excitedly, eager for the next battle.
"All right Bratus, use Will-O-Wisp!" Xavier ordered, getting right back into the battle. Blue flames began orbiting around the Ghost/Grass type as Bratus began moving forward ominously.
"Grass Knot," Alyssa said simply. Fleur's eyes began glowing green and several tiny roots sprouted on the rooftop, tripping Bratus up and causing him to fall flat on his face, the Will-O-Wisp fading as quickly as his concentration.
Xavier grinned at the comical scene, but maintained battle focus. "Bratus, get up and use Shadow Claw!"
Alyssa intercepted him however. "Extrasensory into Poison Ball!" The Bouquet Pokémon's eyes began glowing a golden color and she sent a beam of rainbow colored psychic energy at the face planted Trevenent, lifting him into the air despite his flailing Shadow Claws.
"Who turned off the gravy?" the Elder Tree Pokémon demanded, not noticing the Shadow Ball forming in front of Fleur. Her flowers turned bright purple and she jabbed at the Shadow Ball, infusing it with Poison type energy and rocketing it towards Bratus. The combination attack struck home and exploded with such ferocity that Bratus creating a small crater upon crashing onto the rooftop. Xavier winced at the impact and reached for his Pokéball, knowing the type combination and power of that move was too much for Bratus. When the smoke cleared, his suspicions were correct and the Ghost/Grass type lay sprawled out in the crater, down for the count.
"Nice job Fleur, we're back in the lead!" Alyssa celebrated. The Grass/Poison type nodded, still not speaking.
"Not for long you aren't!" Xavier shot back, swiftly grabbing the right Pokéball from his belt. "Lunaris, I need your help!" A black foxlike Pokémon with golden bands of fur around his legs and ears appeared, red eyes taking in the scenario at a glance. The Umbreon then decided to stretch, as if he had just woken from a nap.
"This looks like it'll be fun," the Moonlight Pokémon commented. He patted at the wet rooftop briefly, getting a feel for the terrain. "Looks like I've missed most of it."
"I've been saving the better battlers for last," Xavier told his Dark type. "It's crunch time now and I'm counting on you."
"I'll try not to disappoint," Lunaris replied, crouching down in a combat position.
"You know what this means if you win this round, right?" Alyssa asked knowingly.
"I'm counting on it," Xavier answered. "Lunaris, use Psychic!"
"Counter it with Extrasensory!" Alyssa countered. Waves of psychic energy began to flow around the battlefield as Lunaris' eyes began glowing blue, matching the gold of Fleur's eyes as the two dueled on the mental plain. Both Trainers raised their arms to protect themselves when the mental battle concluded with one final burst of Psychic energy exploding outwards, buffeting everyone with its power. "I think we'll call that one a draw."
Xavier shrugged. "I can live with that. Use Faint Attack!" Lunaris began running off to the side, blurring as Fleur tried to track him. With a poof of Dark type energy, the Moonlight Pokémon disappeared, prompted Fleur to begin rotating around the battlefield, looking for a sign of her opponent. Lunaris reappeared quickly, right behind the Grass/Poison type and tackled her onto the ground. The Dark type then bounded up and away from the retaliatory Poison Jab, smiling.
"Missed me!" he taunted, disappearing again and slamming into Fleur once more.
Alyssa looked up as the clouds parted, illuminating the rooftop in gentle sunlight. "Perfect timing. Fleur, use Solarbeam!" The Bouquet Pokémon nodded and a soft glow appeared on her head, solar energy gathering in preparation for the might Grass type attack.
"Now's our chance!" Xavier exclaimed, "Lunaris, Mean Look!" The Umbreon's eye began glowing dark purple, firing a ring of shadowy energy that hit Fleur dead on and surrounded her with a purple aura. As quickly as it appeared, the aura disappeared, though both experienced Trainers knew what it meant. Fleur ignored the look and continued charging, her red and blue flowers also beginning to collect solar energy.
"Not very talkative, is she?" Lunaris commented.
"Just like a certain Espeon I know," Xavier pointed out, causing the Moonlight Pokémon to blush. Xavier chuckled before giving out his next order. "Use Confuse Ray!" Lunaris shook himself, creating several orbs of golden energy that orbiting him briefly before the Umbreon launched his attack.
Fleur looked up as a white light began glowing brightly from her flowers. "It's time!" She pointed her flowers at Lunaris just as the Confuse Ray arrived. Fleur spared them a glance, which ultimately cost her as they swelled and exploded with a brilliant light. Alyssa lowered her arms to see Fleur stagger about, confused.
"Come on Fleur," Alyssa encouraged quietly, "Do it!" The Grass/Poison type did indeed unleash a powerful Solarbeam, but it flew well over the head of everybody, exploding in the skies above.
"Shadow Ball!" Xavier ordered, putting his hands in his pockets. "Follow that with Psychic!" Lunaris jumped and shot several Shadow Balls at the confused Fleur, peppering her with attacks. She fired back with a Shadow Ball of her own, but due to the confusion the attack flew wide, doing nothing from stopping the Umbreon from unleashing a wave of Psychic power that slammed into the Bouquet Pokémon, knocking her to the ground. There was a pause as both Trainers waited to see if Fleur could recover from that, then simultaneous sighs, one of relief from Xavier and one of frustration from Alyssa as she returned Fleur to her Pokéball.
"I was hoping to avoid this," she grumbled as she selected another Pokéball, "But I don't want to waste Bruler's strength now. Lumiere, let's do this!" From the ball came a lilac colored cat-like Pokémon with a forked tail, red gem gleaming on her forehead as the Espeon purred at the sight of Lunaris.
The Umbreon shifted a little, surprised his Trainers would force this upon him. "You sure about this?"
Lumiere purred and walked up towards him. "What's the matter darling?" the tip of her tail caressed Lunaris' chin as she slowly walked around him. "Afraid of losing to a Psychic type?"
That got the Dark type fired up. "Of course not! So long as you don't hold it against me when you lose!"
"I was about to say the same to you," the Espeon said before padding over to Alyssa's side. She crouched down, eyeing her mate with a mischievous look.
"Use Feint Attack!" Xavier ordered. Once again, Lunaris darted off to the side, phasing from view. Lumiere seemed to follow him though, turning around slowly. She knew her mate well enough.
"Intercept with Dazzling Gleam!" Alyssa commanded when she felt the Dark type was about to strike. There was a flash of brilliant light as Lumiere released a brilliant flash of Fairy type energy just as Lunaris came crashing onto her, sending both Pokémon sprawling. Just as quickly they were back on their feet, smiling at each other.
"You call that an attack?" Lunaris taunted, trying to get under her skin. "That was nothing!" His mate merely purred in response, the two pacing around each other slowly, looking for an opening.
"Use Mean Look!" Xavier said. Alyssa growled as another ring of darkness zapped the Sun Pokémon, preventing her from switching.
"Iron Tail!" she yelled. Lumiere charged, her tail glowing with silvery energy. The Espeon leaped into the air and spun, lashing out with her tail at Lunaris, who took the blow on his shoulder.
Xavier saw an opportunity. "Use Confuse Ray while she's in close!"
Alyssa was quick to counter though. "Block it with Dazzling Gleam!" Once again, there was a brilliant flash of light that left spots dancing before the former couple's eyes. When everyone was finally able to see again, both Pokémon were still upright, no signs of confusion coming from the Sun Pokémon.
Xavier's smirk lessened at the failure of the Confuse Ray. "Faint Attack, quickly!" As his Umbreon disappeared, Lumiere again seemed to follow her mate's movements. She suddenly ducked, using her natural tendency to predict the future to sense when Lunaris would strike. The Dark type flew over her crouched body, a cheeky grin on his face even as he missed.
"Finish this with Blinding Sun!" Alyssa shouted. A brilliant glow suffused Lumiere as she began to focus her attack.
"Counter it with Shadow Ball!" Xavier ordered. The two attacks flew at their opponents, a brilliant beam of Fairy type energy concentrated by Psychic energy zooming towards Lunaris while a dark purple ball of ghostly energy shot towards Lumiere. The attacks grazed each other as they flew by, gathering speed and power from the brief touch. Two separate explosion occurred as both attacks scored direct hits, sending plumes of smoke into the air. Xavier shielded his face from the backlash, surprised the attacks hadn't stalemated against each other. When he looked up, both Lunaris and Lumiere were laying down on the ground, the Umbreon on top of the Espeon, and if it weren't for the fact that they bore the marks of the recent battle, it looked like they had fallen asleep snuggling.
"That's too cute," Alyssa commented, a smile on her face. She had seen her Psychic type stagger forward after taking the Shadow Ball head on and meet her mate in the middle, the two crumpling together. Both Trainers locked eyes as they returned their Pokémon. They knew that this was the final round. No more holding back. The stark reality of their situation came crashing down on them as Alyssa adjusted her Team Rocket hat.
"You know I won't be holding back," Xavier warned, the light gleaming off of the Keystone in his necklace. He enjoyed the battle so far, but now that it was down to the last battle he had to get serious. Close friend or not, she was still a member of Team Rocket and he was not going to let himself be taken by a Rocket.
"I'd hate to think you were," Alyssa shot back as she held up a Pokéball. Xavier matched her and they both threw their Pokéballs into the air. With two flashes of light, their Pokémon appeared. Bipedal, orange, draconic, large wings with teal undersides and long tails with flames on the tips, burning brightly, appeared. Xavier's Charizard had a black brace over his chest, a blue and black Charizardite X embedded over his heart. Alyssa's Charizard had a simple black band attached to his tail, a cream and orange Charizardite Y attached to it.
"BRING ON THE HEAT!" Alyssa's Charizard roared upon seeing his opponent, flaring his wings wide. Xavier's Charizard was quieter, sending a small flame out of the corner of his mouth.
Xavier touched the Keystone on his necklace, activating its power. "May our hearts beat as one!" he chanted, a statement echoed by his Charizard. "Amburo, Mega Evolve!" The Mega Stone on his chest began glowing, tendrils of energy connecting with the tendrils sent out from Xavier's Keystone. Orange energy suffused Amburo as the Flame Pokémon began to transform. His body bulked up a little, wing trims dividing into large rounded joints. His skin turned black with a sky blue belly. Various spikes grew along his body as the light faded, revealing blue flames flowing from the corner of Amburo's mouth, red eyes glaring at his opponent. The Mega Charizard X flexed his mighty limbs and roared, sending a shock wave of pure power across the rooftop.
"Guess it's our turn now," Alyssa commented, raising a hand to touch the Keystone on her earring. As it began glowing, her Charizard smirked at his opponent.
"Let's rock!" he shouted as his Charizardite Y began reacting to Alyssa's Keystone, linking up tendrils of energy and engulfing him in a brilliant orange light.
"Time to turn up the heat!" Alyssa shouted, "Bruler, Mega Evolution!" The Flame Pokémon became more sleek and expansive in the transformation, small wings developing on his arms while his actual wings grew and acquired ragged edges. Thorns grew on his tail and the flame on his tail doubled in size. The orange light faded and revealed Mega Charizard Y in all of his glory. Bruler roared, sending a heat wave off from his body. The heat was so intense that the cloud cover in the sky faded, revealing the sun completely for the first time in a few days as Bruler's Drought ability kicked in.
"YOU WILL FEEL MY WRATH!" Bruler roared, flapping his wings and hovering over the rooftop.
"It's been a long time since I've had a battle between Mega Evolved Pokémon," Xavier commented, "and my first between two Charizards. Still, I don't plan to lose!"
"Nobody ever plans to lose," Alyssa pointed out, "I never planned on joining Team Rocket either, but here we are."
"Blackmail doesn't count," Xavier countered, "You aren't exactly a willing member."
"No, but Giovanni isn't going to let me go either," Alyssa said, clenching her fist in frustration. "And once he finds out about this battle, he might start keeping closer tabs on me."
"Or ease up on you given that you've almost taken down a rather handsome, if irritating enemy of Team Rocket," Xavier said with a grin.
"Don't flatter yourself" Alyssa retorted, "You don't even crack the top 10 on the Most Wanted list."
Xavier raised an eyebrow, surprised at that revelation. "After all I've done to thwart their plans? Who's ahead of me?"
"I'll tell you if you beat me," Alyssa challenged, "Bruler, use Flamethrower!" The Fire/Flying type rose up off the rooftop and unleashed a mighty stream of fire at Amburo.
"Dodge it!" Xavier shouted, prompting the Fire/Dragon type to rise up into the air, the Flamethrower scorching the ground in front of Xavier and buffeting him with heat. "Close in with Thunder Punch!" Electricity began to crackle around the claws of the black Charizard as he flew towards his orange counterpart.
Alyssa was undaunted. "Intercept with Solarbeam!" Due to the intense sunlight now beating down, the powerful Grass type attack was near instantaneous and Bruler didn't hesitate to unleash the full fury of the attack. Amburo was forced downwards, the typing preventing him from taking too much damage. It still stung though and perhaps more importantly it stopped the Thunder Punch.
"It seems my other Mega form isn't as good as people make it out to be!" Bruler taunted, blue eyes boring into the red of his opponent as the two Charizards circled each other in the air. "All hype and no substance! I'll show you the true power of a Charizard!"
Amburo glared at his opponent. Xavier gave him a command he had been hoping to hear. "Metal Swords!" Silvery energy manifested around the black Charizard's claws, extending out in the form of a Metal Claw, although instead of three separate claws Amburo formed swords extending past the normal reach of a Metal Claw. The Fire/Dragon type flew towards Bruler with a dangerous gleam in his eye.
Alyssa had a response for that as well. "Katana Swords!" The Fire/Flying type's wings began glowing sky blue as he prepared an Air Slash, though Bruler took a second to touch his wings with his claws. The energy from the Air Slash transferred to his claws and grew out into the shape of a katana, matching Amburo's sword for sword. The two Fire types collided in midair, 'swords' clanging off one another as they dueled in the skies. While Bruler was the better flier, being more agile, Amburo was the better close range fighter and gave more often than he got. With one final slash, Bruler broke off the exchange, let his air blades fade into nothing and began climbing to get above his opponent.
"Focus Blast!" Xavier ordered, not wanting to get drawn into aerial combat too much. While he trusted his starter Pokémon, he didn't want to put him at a disadvantage by playing to his opponent's strengths. The Flame Pokémon seemed to agree with that sentiment and let his own 'swords' disappear, taking the time to begin concentrating. A bright blue orb of energy began to grow in his claws.
"Use Dragon Claw!" Alyssa shouted. Green draconic energy formed around Bruler's claws as the Fire/Flying type dove, claws extended and picking up speed. The Mega Charizard Y managed to score a hit along Amburo's side as he dove past.
"Bet you wish you weren't a Dragon type right now!" Bruler mocked, not even looking to see if he had truly disabled his opponent.
"You talk too much," Amburo responded and sent his fully charged Focus Blast at the Flame Pokémon. It scored a hit and exploded, knocking Bruler down a few feet in the air before he could recover.
"Don't let him get above you again!" Xavier yelled, "Dragon Paladin!" As before, the Fire/Dragon type extended his claws out once more, creating his twin swords once more. In addition to the fancy Steel type move, Amburo began glowing blue-green. Draconic energy began swirling around his body, taking the rough shape of a dragon. Amburo flew forward, his 'swords' serving as the fangs of the attack.
"Guard yourself with Steel Wing!" Alyssa commanded, watching the Dragon Rush attack with a bit of fear. Bruler's wings began glowing silver and the Fire/Flying type used his wings to shield his body, taking the blow with an ear-splitting 'CLANG!' from Amburo, handling it with some difficulty as a move of that power, especially a combination move, was damn near impossible to stop. He remained in the air though, both Charizards breathing heavily after that intense exchange of blows. They circled each other wearily, drifting down closer and closer to the rooftop.
"Flamethrower!" both Trainers shouted simultaneously, blinking in surprise at the unison of their voices for the first time that battle. Blue fire collided with yellow fire and the streams of fire exploded into a firestorm that sent an extremely hot wind across the rooftop, buffeting both Trainers.
"Well, on the plus side, I'm all dried out from the Rain Dance," Xavier quipped as another Flamethrower collision exploded, the gust forcing him back a couple of steps towards the edge of the roof. The two Fire types dueled in the sky a little while longer, sending Flamethrower after Flamethrower at one another until a simultaneous hit made both Charizards hit the rooftop. Both Bruler and Amburo stood back up, neither one willing to throw in the towel.
"Bruler, time to finish this with Blast Burn!" Alyssa shouted.
"You use Blast Burn as well Amburo!" Xavier ordered. The flames on both Charizards tales tripled in size as they prepared to use their ultimate Fire-type move. A bright blue glow appeared in the back of the Fire/Dragon type's throat, a white-hot glow in the Fire/Flying type's throat. With simultaneous roars, both Flame Pokémon fired their attacks, two balls of pure plasma energy flying at each other at such a high speed it was almost instantaneous. Both Trainers dove for cover as attacks exploded, sending white-hot heat across the rooftop and engulfing both Mega Evolved Pokémon in a firestorm unlike any ever seen before. Alyssa dared to poke her head out and was awestruck by the pure power they had unwittingly unleashed. It looked to her like someone had taken the inside of a volcano and brought it here to the roof of the Silph building. The intense heat forced her back under cover and it was several minutes before the temperature dropped to tolerable for the two humans. The smoke roiled over the rooftop, causing Xavier to cough as he tried to locate his Pokémon within the thick smoke.
"Am I missing an eyebrow?" he asked jokingly as he peered through the smoke, knowing Alyssa would hear him. The Team Rocket admin let out a small "ha!" in response. The smoke was thinning, though it was still thick enough to cause Xavier's eyes to water as he stared through the smoke. He could see the blue flame of Amburo's tail appear, which brought a grin to his face. A convenient breeze blew across the rooftop, finally clearing the smoke and revealing Alyssa's Charizard to still be standing upright as well, though both Pokémon looked exhausted.
"Bruler, you okay?" Alyssa asked hesitantly. The Fire/Flying type responded with a grunt, not wasting energy with words. Then Alyssa gasped. The Fire/Dragon type fell forward suddenly, collapsing onto the hot rooftop and transforming back into a normal Charizard with a flash of orange light.
Xavier was stunned. "No way…"
"We won?" Alyssa asked, hoping this wasn't some sort of trick. Her ex seemed to be in shock, but he pulled out his starter's Pokéball and returned the fallen Charizard.
"I lost," he said numbly, "To a member of Team Rocket…"
Alyssa frowned as she realized what that meant. "You know I'm going to have to take you in, right? I just saw one of the spy Fearow Team Rocket uses to monitor various cities. Giovanni knows we've battled by now. I promise I won't let them hurt you."
Xavier stared at her long and hard as she approached, backing away instinctively until he felt the small lip that signaled the edge of the rooftop. "You don't have to do this Lyssa."
Alyssa blinked away tears, though whether it was from the lingering effects of the smoke or out of sadness she couldn't tell. "He's got my parents. I don't have a choice."
Xavier came to a decision and he steeled himself one last time. "You always have a choice. Just like I'm making this one." With that, he stepped onto the lip of the rooftop.
"What are you doing?" Alyssa asked, scared and confused, even as Bruler perked up when the recharge time from Blast Burn ended.
"I swore I would never let myself be captured by Team Rocket on my parent's graves," Xavier explained, "Even to you. Goodbye, my love." With that, he stepped off the roof and began falling.
"NO!" Alyssa shouted, rushing to the edge. She knew she should just let him fall, as Giovanni would have expected from her. It meant the end of a threat to Team Rocket, at least until Red returned from his training on Mount Silver, if that ever happened. But she realized that she couldn't let the man she loved die. She made her decision quickly. "Bruler!" Having watched what happened, the Mega Charizard Y was already moving, picking Alyssa up and placing her on his back. Her Team Rocket hat blew off as Bruler dove off the rooftop, long blonde hair coming free in the wind. The black hat with the bright red R floated lazily until it landed on one of the small fires that had sprung up from the two Blast Burns colliding, catching fire and burning to ashes within a couple of minutes, unknown to Alyssa as she had more pressing concerns on her mind.
Xavier was at peace with himself. His only regret at this point was letting his Pokémon down in that last battle. He knew he could've done better at various points, though it was too late now. He watched the ground rise up to meet him, wondering how much it was going to hurt. A sudden lurch and the ground began to fall away from him. He looked up with a grin at the Mega Charizard Y that had caught him. "I knew you'd make the right choice." Bruler carried the two Trainers to the top of a nearby skyscraper, this one close to the Silph building, but closer still to the Pokémon Center.
"You are a complete IDIOT!" Alyssa shouted as she climbed off Bruler and strode up to Xavier, slapping him across the cheek. He took the blow silently, cheeky grin on his face the entire time. The Flame Pokémon transformed back into a normal Charizard as well, completely exhausted from his recent efforts. Bruler sat down on the rooftop, staying conscious but obviously in need of a break. "You nearly KILLED yourself!" She slapped him again. "Do you think I'd be able to live with myself if I let you fall?!" She slapped him a third time, though there was little weight behind it. She lost her composure and collapsed into his arms, sobbing.
Xavier caught her gently, holding her upright. "I trusted you not to let me fall." He hugged her, Alyssa hugging him back despite her sobbing.
"That wasn't fair," she sniveled.
"Neither is holding your parents hostage to earn your services," Xavier countered, "If I can put my life in your hands, surely you can put your parents lives in mine."
Alyssa was quiet, save for the occasional strangled cry as she tried to regain her self-control. After a long enough pause, she looked up at him. "If you're going to nearly kill yourself to make a point, I suppose nothing else is going to stop you. Are you sure you can save my parents though?"
Xavier leaned in close to her and whispered "I promise on my honor as a Trainer that I will rescue your parents before the month is done. Your time in Team Rocket is coming to an end, my dear Alyssa, and once you're free, not even Giovanni will be able to stop us." With that, he kissed Alyssa on the lips, a kiss she willingly shared with him. She wasn't fully aware of when he broke away and slipped out of her grasp, disappearing off the rooftop in a much safer manner this time down the fire escape, and she wasn't sure how long she stood on that rooftop, but she couldn't help but smile as several Team Rocket Grunts came onto the rooftop to check on their Admin. There was hope after all in this hopeless situation.
BAM! There we go! Battle submission number 3 is done! Hope you all enjoyed the battle, especially you X3rn345! I'm sorry I couldn't get this done for you sooner, but better late than never, right?
I'm still taking submissions for battles, be they OC's or full battle scenarios. Want to read a dream battle on here? I'm your guy! Until then, we'll see where this story goes.
Thought? Questions? Concerns? Comments? Reviews are always welcome, as is any and all constructive criticism. As an author I'm always looking to improve. Until the next battle my friends!
From your Nutty Buddy,
The Eagle Nut